Quest of Life
by shiechan
Summary: DMHG AU after 5th, It's 7th year and there is to be a new Triwizard tournament, and each school will have two champions working as partners. Who would Hogwarts have but Hermione and Draco Malfoy. Appearances are broken as dark and light struggle.
1. New Begginings

A/N: I got bored one night and tried to rewrite my original story…review and tell me what you think. Btw this is AU after 5th year

Disclaimer: I don't own anything anyone has seen before

Quest of Life – by Shiechan

-0-0-

Chapter One: New Beginnings

It was a new day at Hogwarts and 7th year was turning out differently than expected. Voldemort was on the rise and Fudge was an incompetent fool, but the most shocking thing of all had been Dumbledore's announcement to the student body a week ago.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who were now a combination of more mature, more sorrowed, and in Hermione's case more easygoing, sat at the end of the Gryffindor table talking each caught up in their own thoughts.

Harry suddenly broke their silence stating, "This wasn't a good idea, you two shouldn't have done it."

Hermione glanced at Ron exasperated that this argument was about to come up again, but before she could ease the conversation, Ron missed her need for subtlety and burst out, "Come on Harry! I know you had problems with the Tri-Wizard tournament 4th year, but this is different it's safer and no ones gonna get hurt! It's gonna be fine!"

"Oh of course it'll be fine," Harry said sarcastically, "after all it's not like anyone died last time, now is it? You two are both incredibly stupid for taking this risk!"

Hermione sighted softly as her friends continued to argue, remembering the announcement that had started the drama.

-Flashback-

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled as he looked out over the Great Hall and waited for the murmurs to die down, "As I said, I have an important announcement to tell you! After much debate the schools have again decided to host a Tri-wizard tournament and Hogwarts have the honor of being the hosts! In a week students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will arrive and the selections will be made."

Looking out at the shocked faces of the students his blue eyes twinkled more and Dumbledore decided more explanation was necessary, "You see in these dark times, I have decided that more fun is needed in these halls so we will have a tournament. I suppose we shall change the name of it to the Tri-Partner-Wizard tournament as two students from each school will be selected who must work together to compete against all of the other schools. The winners will receive a thousand galleons and an apprenticeship with our mystery world-renowned top professor and. . ."

"Hermione, Hermione snap out of it!"

"Huh," Hermione said shaking her head to clear her fogginess.

"Come on snap out of it," Ron repeated, "they're gong to announce the winners soon."

"Okay," she responded absentmindedly turning to Harry, who was avoiding eye contact, 'at least they've stopped fighting' she though worriedly looking at her friends.

"Please don't be mad, Harry, I know it was a bad experience for you, I get why you're not entering, but an apprenticeship with a top professor is a dream come true with me, and I do know a lot about spells, I just want to try this out. . ."

Harry looked at her resigned, "I know, I'm okay with it really, I just keep remembering Cedric. . .but I understand I'll support you."

Ron burst into the moment as the tri-wizard cup was brought into the Great Hall, "Guys it's about to be announced!" he said envisioning himself holding the prize money.

Hermione looked around the hall at the colored uniforms standing out against the normal black of Hogwarts robes. By now all of the representatives from each house had entered their names into the modified goblet.

As Dumbledore stood to announce the winners, excitement bubbled up inside of Hermione as she was tuning out his speech until the first slip of paper rose from the goblet.

"From Durmstrang we have William Stravenson and Sanguil Jacobs."

Hermione anxiously watched as two tall boys stood up, ignoring their features and the applause, only caring about the upcoming announcement.

"From Beauxbatons we have Ellena Delacour and Carolina Duey"

"The anticipation is worse then waiting for OWL results," Hermione muttered to herself as the final paper slowly came up from the goblet.

"And finally from Hogwarts we have Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy!"

A/N2: If I get some responses and people tell me what they think I'll continue with a much longer chapter that displays Draco's point of view, Hermione's reaction to having him as a partner, the other champions descriptions, and more. . .


	2. Explanations of a Malfoy Kind

Disclaimer: Only my original stuff is mine

A/N: Okay so strangely enough I've written another chapter – Hope you enjoy! (BTW this is AU after 5th year!

-0-0-

Chapter Two: Explanations of a Malfoy Kind

Hermione gaped out into the hall shocked, 'did he really just say my name or am I imagining things,' she thought to herself, in fact Hermione Granger was so shocked to be chosen that she didn't even remember that this was a partners tournament. In fact she completely forgot that a second name had been listed.

"Come on Hermione get up! Go to the back room!" Harry said nudging her with a smile that held just a bit of regret. "They called your name! Go!"

Hermione slowly got to her feet and walked across the great hall in a daze, lost in the thunderous applause of the Gryffindor students. By the time she had reached the door, Hermione's astute mind had caught up with her, 'Wait if I'm one champion than whose my partner?' she questioned herself, as she slowed in front of the door. A second later, her question was answered.

"Move it Granger we haven't got all day," drawled a smug voice. In fact it was a voice that Hermione knew quite well, and as Hermione figured out what had happened she groaned mentally.

She looked behind her and as expected a blonde, smirking boy stood behind her impatiently. "I'm going Malfoy," she said irritated as she opened the door to the room, her mind thinking in over drive.

'Merlin, what did I do to deserve this. Harry was right I shouldn't have entered this tournament. I mean the only reason I did was to win the apprenticeship, but it's totally not worth it if I'm stuck with Malfoy as a partner. What a git, this is going to be hard, he's only going to ruin our chances and I know he isn't going to study new spells. Why did he even enter? Why did I even enter?"

Hermione's mental rant only lasted a second and she forced herself to forget it as she entered the room of the champions.

-0-0-

Draco looked at the four people in the room and evaluated each of his competitors.

From his observations none of the partners seemed to be particularly close, Elena Delacour, a 7th year student looked much like her cousin Fleur and it was obvious she had inherited some of the vela genes. Fleur was holding her nose in the air as she glanced over at her partner disapprovingly. Carolina Duey was looking down and blushing slightly and was as far away from her partner as the couch would allow. She was a plain girl with short brown hair and features that were ordinary in every way.

'They're no threat, the two can't stand each other, and that Carolina girl isn't from a prominent family, she's probably a mudblood, but I could say the same about my "partner,"' Draco though spitefully 'At least the other two are more impressive and Sanguil will be competition, his father is very prominent, he must be as he was invited to the Malfoy ball last year," he thought with slightly more respect as he glanced inconspicuously at the dark boy

Sanguil was looking around the room and absorbing as much information as he could, not that most people would notice. But Draco Malfoy had been raised as a Slytherin by the best and he could read the boys face easily. Draco could not get a lead on Sanguil's partner William. The boy was extremely pale and almost white with bright red hair growing only an inch around his head. He had black eyes that betrayed no emotion, even to Draco, and he did not look around. He didn't seem to dislike his partner, but he could have been stone as no emotions showed on his face and he did not even twitch or look up as Draco and Granger had entered the room.

'Granger,' Draco thought disgustedly as he looked at his partner, 'the little bookworm will be no use to me in this tournament and I must win, that spoiled little Gryffindor will hinder rather than help.' Draco shivered involuntarily as he though of what his punishment would be if he lost and remembered his father's words.

-Flashback-

"Draco I have a mission for you, the Dark Lord will be very pleased with you if you complete this mission properly." Draco gulped mentally at those words, not daring to show outward expression of any kind, lest his father see. Though not a Death Eater yet, if the Dark Lord was happy with him Draco would be marked at the end of 7th year, in the meantime he was to serve him faithfully in whatever way he could.

"What is the mission father?" Draco inquired in his most respectful tones, when his father had grown silent.

"I have learned through my sources that Hogwarts is to have another tournament and a prize will be an apprenticeship with a top professor. I have discovered who that professor is and the Dark Lord wishes him to be dead." Lucius drawled as he stroked the snake on his cane. "You must win this tournament and then the Dark Lord will give you instruction on how to dispose of this man."

"What if I am not chosen?" Draco asked careful to keep any fear out of his tone, he must never show emotion to his father.

"You must be chosen and you must win, or you will be punished," his father said sadistically, smirking when he said the word punishment.

"Do you have any more information on the tournament?" Draco asked.

"No. There is some other secret, but my sources do not know what it is. Do not fail me. Do not fail the Dark Lord. You are his servant and he has plans for you."

-Flashback over-

Draco was therefore very relieved to be chosen, though he seemed indifferent due to his aristocratic training. 'But this partner thing is irritating, this must be the secret father didn't find out. Why could I not have had a Slytherin for a partner? I could even deal with a Ravenclaw. Even a foolish Hufflepuff would be better than an impetuous Gryffindor, especially one like her. Not only is she a mudblood but all she can do is memorize things. She is nor intelligent, just favored because she is a Gryffindor. She will hurt my chances. Not to mention the fact that I must work with her. I must win . . . I do not even want to think of the consequences if I lose. . ."

Finally, after 10 minutes of eerie silence in the small room, the sitting champions were aroused from their thoughts by the opening of the door. Five people filed in standing in front of the room's three couches, the Durmstrang champions were seated normally, whereas the Beauxbatons and Hogwarts champions were as far from each other as possible. Draco examined the five that had entered, the bumbling, incompetent, muggle-loving fool - Dumbledore, the oaf half-breed who ran the French school - Madame Maxine, the powerful, the respectable replacement of the traitor Karkaroff- Balthazar Arquette, and the two ministry flunkies of the year neither which Draco should hopefully easily manipulate, some auror named Kinglsey Shacklebot and Ombernon Zambini, a distant cousin of his year mate Blaise.

Dumbledore stood in the middle of the five and smiled happily, "Hello champions, it is good to see such bright, promising students, and I know you all must be cheerful and happy to be here!"

Draco snorted softly at this, especially after glancing at his partner Granger, only to be disgusted by the sight of her almost bouncing with excitement.

Dumbledore continued merrily as if he were a 3 year old in a candy store, "I'm so happy that this tournament is about to start again, and now to announce the First Task we have Ombernon Zambini!"

Ombernon stood up slowly he was an older man obvious by his movements but his features had a youthful resilient look to them. He cleared his throat and said in a precise voice with no discernable accent, "Hello, I am about to announce some very important information about your first task!"

-0-0-

A/N: Okay I did actually write another chapter and am incredibly happy with the fact that I managed over 1,300 words! Yay! If people want me to continue writing, next chapter has a lot more Draco/Hermione interaction as well as each houses reaction, also you'll learn about the first task, please tell me if you want me to continue! Bye! - Shiechan


	3. Reactions and Meetings

A/N: Here's the next chapter. . .Thank you soooo much to everyone who reviewed!!!!!!!! Ummm…so I wrote some more and I'll probably write more on this story depending on how school goes!

-0-0-

Chapter 3: Reactions and Meetings

"Your first task," Ombernon started before pausing dramatically, "Will be revealed to you at a later date."

At this statement Hermione, who had been leaning forward in anticipation, sat back sighing softly, showing her emotions without reservation. She looked at her competitors and was happy to see that at least one was as disappointed as her, Carolina Duey was had reacted in much the same way as Hermione. Glancing curiously at the others she saw that Elena merely had an expression of irritation on her face, but then again that expression had never left.

The three boys were all exactly the same, 'How can they not show any emotion at all?' Hermione thought curiously.

Then Ombernon started to speak, earning Hermione's full attention, "However I do have several hints for you. You should study both muggle and auror training methods; you should review all of your class material, and you should trust each other implicitly. The first task will be in exactly a month and the weighing of the wands will be next week. You are dismissed to speak to your headmasters."

Hermione stood up and went over to Headmaster Dumbledore, with Malfoy slowly heading behind her, signature sneer now back in place. The two Beauxbatons girls and the two Durmstrang boys left quickly speaking rapidly to their respective headmasters.

Dumbledore looked at the two warmly and smiling said, "I trust you both to find ways to win, I have nothing more to say, now hurry along I'm sure your house mates are waiting expectedly for you!"

"Thank you so much Headmaster!" Hermione said almost squealing, as she left the room.

She waited by the door and glanced back at Malfoy as he nodded once and walked out as well.

Hermione spoke to him as she ran ideas through her mind about what to study first, "Look Malfoy, we're going to have to work together, so we need to start studying now, I think we should meet –"

Malfoy interrupted and said coolly, "I'll decide when we meet, as I am the one who will let us win this competition, you will just get in my way muggle so you will listen to me, not the other way around."

"Look ferret," Hermione snarled, her good mood now gone, "I don't want to work with you, but I want to win this tournament, we should at least figure out what they mean by muggle and auror training methods." 

Hermione glared at him as he finally responded, "Fine Gryffindor, I'll meet you tomorrow after Potions." Before she had a chance to comment on the choice of location he had walked a way leaving her annoyed.

"Useless stuck up ferret, he has no right to talk to me that way that spoiled Slytherin better be willing to work hard. . .I can't believe I'm stuck working with him . . ." Hermione muttered this and much more quietly to herself as she traveled to the Gryffindor common room.

Only when she reached the Fat Lady's Painting did Hermione remember that she had not truly seen her friends' reactions, nervously she said the password, "Truth, courage honor," (one of Gryffindor mottos) and climbed through the portrait hole.

-0-0-

Meanwhile, Draco was about to enter his own common room, happy about how the conversation had proceeded. For now he could manipulate Granger so that things went his way, even better was the fact that their next meeting would be in the dungeons - pure Slytherin territory.

Draco then coolly slipped an indifferent mask over his face – it was unintelligent for the older student to show emotion in the common room – and said the password, "Glory and Power" a motto not only of Slytherin but of most of his housemates.

He entered the common room to find most things appeared normal, but in truth it was a scene of congratulations. The first and second years were the most blatant smiling and crowding close to him wishing him congratulations. Meanwhile the 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th years were even smiling slightly – and a smile from an older Slytherin was a very rare sight indeed. Those students were close to the buffet tables and eating the elegant display of rich, expensive, foods, glancing up at Draco with a mixture of approval and submission – after all he did rule much of the house. His fellow 7th years were out of sight, but Draco knew where they would be. He nodded to his well wishers and sneering made a small speech appropriate for the situation, before exiting for his dormitory.

As expected Draco saw his fellow 7th years that, because they were in neutral territory, were relaxing. Nott, Zambini, and his flunkies Crabbe and Goyle were waiting for him.

"Hello, champion," Nott said sarcastically, "though I suppose congratulations are in order I don't envy you."

"Huh . . . why not?" Crabbe asked slowly – he had never truly understood the complex subtleties of the Slytherin house.

As often his role, Zambini explained, "Though he shall win the so-called prize his only reward would be glory, the money is unnecessary to a Malfoy. In addition he will be forced near a mudblood inferior for the duration of the tournament. How horrible. I do not even understand why you entered Malfoy – you have glory amongst us and the others are insignificant. It is not as if some apprenticeship is worth of your time."

Malfoy considered carefully, finally choosing to answer truthfully – these were his allies after all. "Father has given me a mission from our Dark Lord, I was to enter, win, and kill the mystery professor – it is my Lords wish and I will obey."

The others now understood, though in the case of Crabbe and Goyle the understanding was minimal, they grew silent, for all were expected to be marked at the end of the year. All were expected to serve the Dark Lord.

When the others had fallen asleep, Draco pulled out a parchment and a quill and started a letter to his father, reporting on his current progress.

Father,

The Champions have been selected and as expected, I have become one of them. Unfortunately, the tournament features partners from each school and I am forced to work with another. Potter's mudblood friend somehow fooled the cup as Potter had and was selected to work as the other Hogwarts Champion. This is unfortunate, but I will remain strong and win, the mudblood will not stand in the way of earning glory for our lord. I shall be successful and continue on.

-Draco

-0-0-

Hermione sat in potions class waiting for it to be over – she had finished the day's assignment and was left only to remember the night before. She had been happily greeted by blaring music, butterbeers, candy, and all of the WWW's finest products. In fact the creators themselves were there as Fred and George Weasley handed out candies to unsuspecting first years. Hermione had not even wanted to think about how the two has managed to sneak into Hogwarts so instead she quickly looked around the room.

Most of her classmates were dancing and chatting happily, but once they noticed her loud screams of congratulations affronted her from every angle. She smiled happily as she remembered how Harry, Ron, Neville, and Ginny had rushed up to greet her and all spoke quickly with congratulations. She could tell Ron and Harry were holding back slightly, and guessed Harry was just nervous for his friend, and Ron still had jealousy issues. Fortunately, unlike in 4th year Ron did not completely turn away from her as he had Harry – she was glad to see that he had at least partially grown out of the jealous prat routine.

As she smiled she welled up with happiness thinking about the fact someone had held a party in honor of her. Suddenly she was interrupted from her day dreaming by a slight shove from the right and annoyed turned towards Ron, missing the message he had been trying to send.

"Ms. Granger," spoke the oily tones of her Potions Professor, "What exactly were you doing." Professor Snape loomed over her, glaring as she gulped nervously.

"Hmmmm….No response," the man continued, "I suppose I will take 25 points from Gryffindor and you have a detention after class."

Hermione let annoyance swell up I her eyes before saying meekly, "Yes, Sir."

-0-0-

Hermione waited in the dungeons as Professor Snape dismissed the class only to see that Malfoy had remained behind.

"So let's start this so-called 'meeting'," he said lounging in his normal chair.

"Didn't you hear Professor Snape, I have detention," she responded annoyed.

"Of course he gave you detention – I asked him to," a smirking Malfoy responded.

"You bloody git," Hermione said angrily – he had messed with her perfect record, "Why in the name of Merlin would you do something like that!" Now turning red, she was tempted to hit him as she had in third year.

"You didn't actually think I would meet with you in public? I'm not to be seen with filth like you," the arrogant Slytherin responded condescendingly, "Now are we here to discuss the tournament or not?"

-0-0-

A/N 2: Okay if I have time to continue the next chapter will spring from this scene – and the next month will go by faster until the First Task. BTW 1500 Words!!!! Yay!!!! And 10 Reviews! YAY!!! Please keep reviewing – they really inspire me to continue and I love seeing them!


End file.
